After an investigation by the inspector general, NASA says what we already knew: Google's top brass use tax-subsidized gas to go on pleasure trips around the world, saving millions of dollars it could easily afford.
Charitably, NASA chalks the arrangement up to a "misunderstanding" between H211, Google's fleet-managing dummy corporation, and the feds:
We found that a misunderstanding between Ames and DLA-Energy personnel rather than intentional misconduct led to H211 enjoying the discounted fuel rate for flights that had no NASA-related mission. From September 2007 until August 2013, H211 purchased fuel at Moffett from DLA-Energy either directly or through NASA for both its personal (non-NASA related) flights and NASA science flights at a rate intended only for government agencies and their contractors. Even though Ames officials accurately reported to DLA-Energy the nature of the Center's agreement with H211, DLA-Energy misunderstood that H211 was drawing fuel for both private and NASA-related missions. While this arrangement did not cause a loss to NASA or DLA-Energy, it resulted in considerable savings for H211.3Specifically, we calculated that since inception of its lease H211 paid approximately $3.3 million to $5.3 million less for fuel supplied by DLA-Energy than it would have paid to buy fuel at market rates.
(H/T Charles WT)
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